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Wednesday, 29 October 2014

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker.

Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

The 5th wave is something special, if not necessarily very original. It's another one of those YA apocalyptic novels, but the way the author mixes romance with action and logic is mesmerising..

What I loved most is how contemplative I became while reading. Throughout the whole book I was considering worst-case scenarios. And just as the main character; I trusted no one.

It's hard to write a review about this book because there really isn't much to say. The characters were great. Some grow in character as the story progresses, some don't. But all of them, yes even the secondary characters, have their own personalities and stick to them.

Wait, wait. There was this one thing that did bother me. Where were the aliens? C'mon guys. A little more action on their part would be appreciated! The lack of actual aliens was a bit disappointing.

And don't get me started on the writing. Metaphors packed with sarcasm. I loved it.

The plot was... I don't even know. The author leaves you guessing until the last few chapters about basically everything.

This review is pathetic. I haven't said anything... This is what a good novel does to me. My inner critic just died because there's nothing to criticise!

5 out of 5.

Why? Because this book achieved exactly what it was trying to achieve. It wanted you to think, to be paranoid, to have a laugh when the characters made sarcastic comments. This novel makes you love every character, and makes you question the intentions of pretty much...well, everyone. Including the characters you love.

Just go and read it, because this review is a mess and you probably don't even understand what I'm talking about. (For reviewers that did a MUCH better job at speaking of this book and share my opinions click this or this)

Day 6 already! :D This readathon is so much fun already, i'm loving it!

Today I have to do the Spell It Out Challenge! Basically, I pick the word Ghost, Witch, Zombie or Howl and use their letters to spell out some book titles i've read this year! (Z,Q and Z can be present anywhere in the title)

So today i'm tagging along with a blog tour! The book you can see in the huge banner (Up there, no way you missed it) is Blood Line by John J. Davis! I read the book, it was pretty good. You can read my review and two excerpts down below. But first, let me give you some more information about the book and tour!

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Blood Line , A Granger Spy Novel (Book 1)

by John J. Davis

Publisher: Simon & Winter, Inc.

Genres: Action, thriller

254 Pages

Release date: October 14, 2014

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“Sharply written, with characters that readers will be happy to see again.” —Kirkus Reviews

Blood Line is a high-voltage spy thriller that redefines rogue—the Granger Spy Novel series introduces a loving family with lethal issues caught in the crosshairs of global arms dealers.

When a simple home invasion turns out to be not so simple, Ron Granger must put aside his quiet rural life and return to the Central Intelligence Agency.

Aided by his brilliant wife, Valerie, and resourceful teen daughter, Leecy, Ron must quickly decide who to believe among the calculating opportunists, shrewd criminals, and power-hungry rival agencies racing to possess the technology that will change modern warfare forever. But when Leecy is kidnapped, Ron and Val must choose between the mission and a rescue.

With time quickly running out, Ron only knows one thing:

When you can’t trust anyone else, trust your family.

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Purchase Links for Blood Line

John J. Davis is the author of the Granger Spy Novel series, including Blood Line and the soon to be published sequel, Bloody Truth, available Spring 2015.

Davis grew up in the Southeastern US and after university traveled extensively in North America during his career as a regional sales rep and independent broker for leaders in the transportation, shipping and pharma industries. His years sitting in lobbies and airports honed his skill for human observation and fed his talent for writing fast-paced, character-driven stories.

His inspiration for the Granger family-of-spies comes from the people he has known and his family roots in the Carolinas–the extraordinarily strong and gentle women and men, whose lives are defined by the love, trust and respect for family. Currently at work on the third Granger Spy Novel and a screenplay, Davis lives near Atlanta with his wife, daughter and two dogs.

Author John J. Davis will be making personal appearances at bookstores while the virtual book tour is in progress. If you live in the areas he'll be visiting and would like to meet him, here are the locations he will be at throughout October and November:

Excerpts from Blood Line

The black SUV I’d seen earlier came into sight. I watched it cruise through the parking lot of the motel next door. I slid down in my seat in an effort to hide behind the steering wheel, and knew without question the SUV was looking for us, but what I didn’t know is how anyone could’ve found us.

I had to act. I had to get to the room where Valerie and Leecy were sleeping. It was only a matter of time before the SUV made it to the Motel 6 parking lot.

I peered over the steering wheel. The width of the Motel 6 parking lot and a thin grass divider was all that lay between them and the Oldsmobile. The distance was about two hundred feet. I ran to the room. Inserting the old fashioned key into the lock, I turned the doorknob and stepped inside to find the girls awake and staring out the window.

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I woke up on the cold concrete floor of Anderson’s garage. I didn’t know how long I’d been out, but at least I was alive. I stood slowly and was immediately dizzy and fought the urge to vomit. I probably had a concussion. I walked on very unsteady legs toward an open overhead door and the fresh night air and kept walking toward the front door of the house. I fell up the two steps, pushing the front door of the house open. I saw with blurred vision heads turn and look in my direction. I couldn’t make out any of the faces. I heard talking but I didn’t understand what was being said. Valerie’s face came into focus looking over me. She was unharmed.

“You’ve got a really nasty black eye and busted lip. Here, look in the mirror,” she said as she steered me to the left.

The left side of my face was red with black and blue streaks.

I remarked, “I’ve seen worse. What happened after I lost consciousness?”

Val steered me to the kitchen table and helped me sit down.

“You have a hematoma on the back of your head the size of a baseball. Sit here. I’m getting aspirin.” She turned to walk away but I grabbed her hand and said in my firmest voice, “Look, I’ve been worse: shot twice, stabbed in the back and chest. I’ve broken both arms and one hand. This is nothing. Tell me what happened.”

“Moore and Porter have Leecy.''

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Review, Blood Line by John J. Davis

To be honest, I think this book could have been way better in many ways. But at the same time, I kinda like it as it is. You must have no idea what I’m blabbing about, so let me tell you.

Blood Line is a thriller/action novel, but it was too slow-paced for my liking. Not enough toe-curling mysteries or omg-what’s-happening-OMG action scenes.

The first 2/3 of the book also felt like a history lesson. Too much talking about the past, not enough being revealed about what was going on in the present.

BUT. After you get through that history lesson, the story starts to build up into awesomeness. I can guarantee that it’s worth reading through.

The environment was described in a mesmerizing way, I could really see the words on the pages come alive in my mind like a movie.

The only problem I had with the writing was the lack of emotion. Now this was something that exasperated me to no end. There’s this saying I read about a while ago “Don’t tell; show”. Don’t tell me somebody is scared, show me by describing their eyes widening, their hands shaking uncontrollably, etc.

Before I get into the ending, Let’s take a moment to talk about the characters. in particular, The protagonist’s insanely intelligent daughter, Leecy. She’s a cool character, all right. But what I don’t get about her is the lack of any trauma… maybe it was just shock, but like… c’mon! I can’t spoil anything, so I’ll just say that some awful things are going to happen to Leecy. And she wasn't that affected by any of it.

Then there was Julia, she’s a secondary character, but I just think she’s a little off. But at least she has kind of a reason to be like that… A reason I’m not going to reveal right now. You’ll just have to read the book and judge for yourself ;)

Okay! So, returning to one of the previous topics. After History, you get P.E.! I really, really, really enjoyed the last chapters. They were interesting and the action was great. Valerie is BADASS. Like holy crap. Don't want to piss her off.

I can’t really give this novel more than 3 stars because the first half of the book was… well, slow-paced and not thrilling enough.

Tour hosted by:

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That was all! I hope you're going to check out this novel, it's kind of a book you read when it's raining outside and you're snuggling on a couch next to a fire :D.

I don't think this challenge has a name, so I'll call it the Recreation Challenge!

It's pretty simple in theory, but actually making it happen is a bit tricky. What i'm supposed to do is take a book title and/or cover and Halloweenify it! (For example: Fangirl = Fang-girl, or The Night Circus = The Fright Circus).

Hosted by MySeryniti!

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The book I chose was Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas! I love it quite a lot and I'm SO excited for book 4 to be unleashed! (Yes, I know I said unleashed. But c'mon, released just isn't good enough for Celaena).

I know this has nothing to do with this readathon, but this is my blog so whatever. I just want to talk about ACOTAR aka. A Court of Thorns and Roses for a second. It's an upcoming book of Sarah! The cover was revealed a little while ago and I fell in love. You can check out the cover here or here or here or here or just google ACOTAR and you'll be fine.

OKAY! Let's get back to the challenge.

So yeah, Throne of Glass. I changed it into Throne of Ghosts... I know. It's lame, but I couldn't think of anything else!

I also remade the cover *shudders* I really suck at photoshop but here it is!

Throne of Ghosts. ------->

<-------- Throne of Glass.

You don't have to say anything, I know it's terrible xD

NOW! If you have not read Throne of Glass and you're into Fantasy YA then... what have you been doing since 2012?! Go check them out now!

Today I'll be doing the Teaser Challenge! I'm going to pick up the book i'm currently reading, flip through it, then ADD three spooky words to the first two sentences I see!

This challenge is being hosted by Andrew@ EndlesslyReading

The book i'm going to use for this is the fifth wave. I'm loving it so far, even though it's a little bit confusing at this point... but that's what I like about it. The book makes you paranoid.

But Sam gave the bloodcurdling Bear to Cassie to keep her company. and he's never slept without bear, not ever, not since Bear came staggering to him, anyway.
That was harder than I thought. Seriously, I dare you to do this right now. Just pick up a random book and try it out.

That was the challenge for today! Tomorrow I'll be back with a new one, but if you want to see how other people did this same challenge; check them out by clicking the links below!

Friday, 24 October 2014

So Today's challenge is pretty simple. I'm supposed to state which books I'm planning on reading for the Readathon!

Sadly I don't have time to read that many books... so sad...
I decided to pick 4 books to read (two being almost finished!) so yeah. not much of a challenge, I know. I'm weak, okay?! And I don't feel like challenging myself with 7 books. it's too muchhhh.

Okay! So let's get down to the actual books shall we?

First up is Blood Line by John D. Davis, which i'm reading for a blog tour. I've almost finished it... but that counts!! It just does.

When a simple home invasion turns out to be not so simple, Ron Granger must put aside his quiet rural life and return to the Central Intelligence Agency.

Aided by his brilliant wife, Valerie, and resourceful teen daughter, Leecy, Ron must quickly decide who to believe among the calculating opportunists, shrewd criminals, and power-hungry rival agencies racing to possess the technology that will change modern warfare forever. But when Leecy is kidnapped, Ron and Val must choose between the mission and a rescue. With time quickly running out, Ron only knows one thing:

When you can’t trust anyone else, trust your family.

Then we have Deamhan by Isaiyan Morrison. i have read a few chapters of this book already.. But c'mon guys! This is kinda my Halloween and "finish your half-read books'' readathon.

Deamhan have survived by remaining hidden in the shadows. Ramanga, Lamia, Metusba, and Lugat have been overshadowed by what humans know as the modern vampire. But what if vampires aren't the real threat?One woman's search for her mother who disappeared without a trace on the streets of Minneapolis takes her into the precarious world of Deamhan, psychic vampires who rule the underground nightlife in the city's most darkest corners.She gains the trust of the only other human familiar with the Deamhan lifestyle. With his help she finds not only can the Deamhan not be trusted but it s her own father, president of a ruthless organization of researchers, who has diabolically maintained that distrust.

the third book i'll be finishing is the 5th wave by Rick Yancey! I have like 50 pages left so yeah... let's throw that one in here too.

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker.Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

And the only book that I haven't read yet is Kali: Destroyer of Worldsby Mike Kuykendall. It looks kinda creepy... And I love it already! :D So excited to get started!

A gamma ray burst starts civilization crumbling, and a suicidal little girl must embrace her inner darkness to survive. Through death and fire, Rebecca Wilder has been reborn. Will her destructive revenge take the world with it, or can a twelve-year old girl salvage her humanity and stop nuclear annihilation? Kali - Destroyer of Worlds follows Becky’s journey as she confronts the horrors that are left behind after the world ends.

Sunday, 19 October 2014

Okay, I haven't posted in aagessss! But don't worry about that. I've been immensely busy so I (sadly) have very little time to read. I hope i'll finish a few books soon so I get to write a review! and i'll schedule a tag post somewhere in the near future.

So yeah

Over to you, BookBoard!

10 awesome books that i got in my mail, but couldn't accept to review for some reason. Just to give those books some love; I listed them down below!

Quiznot by Russell Stoll

Timothy Starr thought nothing of the encounter: a girl with a foreign accent asks for directions and squeezes his wrist in appreciation. It seemed an innocent gesture, even though it did leave a slight mark. But then his life slides out of control. Somehow his emotions are influencing the real world. When two high school classmates are seriously injured as a result of his emotional outbursts, Timothy is forced to choose: take his chances in the justice system or enroll at Smithson, a private school that says it can help him. He chooses Smithson. Nothing at his new school is as normal as it appears. The faculty’s interest in his destructive powers doesn't seem directed toward helping him get back to normal. Most of the seemingly perfect student body is having an idyllic high school experience, oblivious to the outside world except for an annual geology field trip out west to search for something called a “quiznot.” The few other students he meets with powers of their own are sullen and reclusive. Timothy wants answers. Was his encounter with the girl really a coincidence? And why is this quiznot so important? But then he learns that the last student who asked similar questions may have paid with his life.

A Boy & His Corpse by Richard B. Knight

Like any fifteen-year-old, Alan Chandler has to deal with the horrors of adolescence—social awkwardness, joblessness, and a father who drives him nuts. But there are some not-so-typical horrors too: His father’s job is to resurrect people as anti-terrorist soldiers. Even though his father keeps warning him that the day will come when he’ll need to take over the family business, Alan is more interested in starting an Undead Wrestling Federation—if only he could keep a corpse on its feet for more than a minute at a time.

Meanwhile, troubles are brewing in the Middle East. A mad dictator threatens to start World War III, and Alan knows that if his father leaves for war, he won’t be coming back. Not alive anyway. With the future at stake, Alan must choose between his adolescent dreams and becoming the leader his father needs him to be. He needs to find himself and understand how his powers work...before it’s too late.

The First by Lisa Green

But their biggest threat lies within their own village. Everyone and everything is dying, slowly and without hope of salvation.

In a world where almost nothing is truth and isolation is the purest form of self-deception, the possibility of hope exists only in the heart and mind of a young woman who chooses to follow an unknown path in order to save everyone she knows and loves. Before long, she discovers that her most vital beliefs are based on a deception that will rock the foundation of her entire people. To save them, she must learn to open her heart and sacrifice…everything.

In The Absence of Kings by Lee Lacroix

Enter Garreth, a reclusive woodsman, who with his son, Novas, are propelled from their secluded, forest home after defending it from the encroaching loggers of the Blackwoods Company. "The King is dead!" they had screamed at Garreth, former royal bodyguard, and drove the man back to the capital of Amatharsus to find a reason to the most troubling statement in Malquia's recent history. Garreth unites with his allies in the dishonored King's Guard to overcome the military, political, and economic opposition that the Blackwoods Company has imposed on Amatharsus and beyond, and incites a rebellion before the free people of Malquia fold under crippling recession and the environmental destruction of their verdant homeland.

When the dejected Malquian Queen reveals that the Blackwoods Company had been making the Malquian citizens pay a steep ransom for their island continent's independence, Garreth, Novas, and the restored King's Army must defend their families and their homes against an invading, overseas empire, which has been massing at Deepshine, the home of the Blackwoods Company leader, and brother to the Queen, Lord Vyse.

Micro Stories by Edward Meiman

Want to read a good story, but just don't have the time? Want to have something to do while you wait for the bus? Stuck in a doctor's office with nothing but year old travel magazines? You need a micro story for your hectic world. Micro stories are all a thousand words or less. They take only a few minutes or less to read. Micro Stories for a Hectic World has over one hundred of these stories grouped into seven genres. If you want to read something funny, there are Humor stories galore. Want to be transported to a far off world? Check out the Science Fiction collection.

The Mystery of Deadly Daisies by Steven Vagovics

What would you if you had a material feud with your future brother-in-law? Would you fight for your right? Would you do more than anyone else to get what you deserve? What would you do if you found out that he got murdered? Living in the 1940s by the sunny sides of Hawaii, detective Herbie Fox appears to investigate the murder. Who committed the terrible crime of killing? Find out in this first episode of the crimi novel series. Remember, things aren't quite what they seem to be. Are you ready to face the truth?

Gates by G.S. Luckett

Can a condemned soul become God's weapon? (Disclaimer: Non-Religious)

A death row inmate, known as The Brit, on an isolated island is able to escape from his execution during a freak thunderstorm. Now, he finds himself fighting his way through the prison and protecting the very people who jailed him. Pursued by prisoners and guards that will not die and a mysterious inmate from his nightmares, The Brit has to lead the others to escape in order to save their souls and possibly his own.

Suppliant by Laura Tree

Eighteen-year-old Layla Sanders lives life one step at a time, enjoying the last week of school and looking forward to college in the fall. In addition, she is handling the news of her adoption, and the discovery of her visions, in the same manner.

Damien Cartwright, the new kid in school, comes to her rescue right after graduation, pulling her into his Realm. Layla discovers that she needs to fulfill a prophecy to find the Azure Pendant and keep the balance between the Light and Dark.

She travels to The Isle, a prestigious school of the Council, where she will undergo training. At The Isle she will be forced to declare a side before starting her journey through the Realms in search of the Pendant. But will finding the Azure Pendant help Layla find her birth parents?

We Wish You a Happy Killday by Jason Heroux

"We Wish You a Happy Killday" is the story of an international beloved holiday called “Killday” where one day a year everyone over the age of fifteen is permitted to register for a license allowing them to kill one other person. But this year Chad Ovenstock doesn’t feel like killing anyone. His friends and family urge him to participate in the festivities, but he can’t seem to get into the holiday spirit. On the day before Killday Chad comes in contact with Ambrose, an old friend who suffered a nervous breakdown and is now part of The One Ant Army, a mysterious cult dedicated to making the future disappear. When the holiday finally arrives Chad refuses to participate and tries to survive on his own, surrounded by constant gunfire, countless corpses, and the nagging suspicion that Ambrose may have secretly brainwashed him into becoming a member of The One Ant Army cult.

He visits his aunt in the hospital, gets shot in the arm, and dragged to a party: just another Killday full of traditional high-spirited bloodshed. Shot, wounded, and disorientated from powerful painkillers, Chad struggles to come to terms with his place in the strange and bewildering world around him

Enter Ruinland by C.J. Anderson

Could you survive in a ruined world? Inspired by the words of Nietzsche, Enter Ruinland is the searing dark chronicles of human and synthetic life following a future nuclear apocalypse. The world war, triggered by religious terrorism, causes the remnant of humanity to question faith in God and the meaning of life itself. An artificial intelligence will sentence to death all humans incapable of authentic emotion. Within a military bunker are 70 survivors who face execution by a fabricated being. A soldier with a troubled past must come to terms with a horrible truth. One woman's lustful choice may have fatal consequences. Survivors have two choices: stay underground and be controlled by artificial intelligence, or take your chances outside alone in the desolation. This is a story about the mystery of life, the finality of death, and the struggle to survive in a devastated world.